The new Land Rover Defender cometh in 2015, so sayeth – officially – Land Rover. When it released information and photos on the DC100 concept not long ago, the accompanying press release stated "Land Rover confirms its intention to launch a new Defender in 2015." Bringing a spot of sun to Defender lovers everywhere, in two weeks the firm has snipped three years off that delivery time.

Yesterday, Land Rover released the first image and details (however few) of the new DC100 concept it's bringing to Frankfurt, and it carries with it the promise of the next-generation Defender – an off-roader so accomplished and so ubiquitous that calling it the Sir Edmund Hillary (or Tenzing Norgay) of automobiles wouldn't even be doing it justice.